Westminster Palace - Houses of Parliament

Westminster Palace is a set of buildings in the London borough of the City of Westminster. In this complex there are the Houses of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, according to the country's government system.

The palace is located in the north bank of the River Thames, near Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church. Together, the buildings belong to the World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1987.

The Palace was intended as a royal residence but now is the place to the Houses of Parliament, different libraries and offices among other equipment related with Government. Also, it is the meeting place of state political events, especially the Opening Ceremony of Parliament. The present building dates from the nineteenth century, at which time it was rebuilt by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in Neo-Gothic revival style after the palace was burnt in flames in 1834. The  style was used probably to distinguish England from other European governments with Neo-Classical buildings.

The most touristic buildings in Westminster Palace are the Victoria Tower and Clock Tower. The Clock Tower is in fact a tourist attraction by itself and one of the symbols of the city. The Victoria Tower is the largest tower of the building with 98.5 meters. It is a square tower named in honor of Queen Victoria and it is located in the southwest of the palace. Its main function is host The Archive of Parliament, a large collection of documents related with the House of Lords. There is a small garden open to the public around the tower, the Victoria Tower Garden.

The Clock Tower hosts inside the famous bell called Big Ben. It is a tower of smaller area than Victoria Tower, with 96 meters high, also known as St. Stephen's Tower. The function of the tower is give the hour.

The House of Lords is located in the south wing of the palace and it has  red-colored furniture. Also the room is decorated with paintings related with religion, law and knighthood and stained glass windows. The House of Lords is the place where important ceremonies are performed, the most important one is the State Opening of Parliament.

The House of Commons, or lower house, much more austere than the House of Lords carries associate the color green and on the other hand is located in the north wing of the palace. By tradition, the British monarch can not enter into the chamber.

Besides the towers and 'Houses' other important room is the Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the palace. It was built in 1097 and it was the only part which survived the fire that destroyed the palace. It is also used as a reception room in ceremonial acts.

The Palace can only be visited during the summer or from the public gallery during parliamentary acts.

Source of description: planerGO

Inside of Westminster Palace - Houses of Parliament you can also find: Big Ben - Clock Tower ,

Neighbourhood Westminster (LONDON)
Price definition of price
UNESCO 426
Geographical coordinates 51.4995730, -0.1245830
Address SW1A 0 City of London, Dean's Yard 20
Construction dates 1840 - 1870
More information official website

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